Interim Final Rule Implementing the U.S. Workforce Act of 2018 Publishes Rule creates new requirements for CNMI employers to protect U.S. workers

USCIS published an interim final rule (IFR)  May 13 implementing the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018, which created requirements that encourage employers to hire U.S. workers in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and ensures that U.S. workers will not be displaced or encounter a competitive disadvantage for employment compared to non-U.S. workers.

“In addition to implementing legislation, this rule follows the clear guidance laid out by President Trump’s Buy American and Hire American executive order, which called on the Department of Homeland Security to propose rules to protect the interests of U.S. workers in the administration of our immigration system,” said USCIS Deputy Director for Policy Joseph Edlow.

Importantly, the IFR requires CW-1 employers to enroll in the E-Verify program with respect to all their hiring sites in the CNMI and elsewhere in the United States, and be in good standing in the program. E-Verify is a web-based system that allows enrolled employers to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. E-Verify employers verify the identity and employment eligibility of newly hired employees by electronically matching information provided by employees on Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, against records available to DHS and the Social Security Administration.

Please see USCIS News Release for more information.